Flag of the Commonwealth
The Flag of the Commonwealth of Planets, commonly referred to as the Commonwealth Cross is the flag resulting from the Commonwealth Treaty. It is composed of three separate elements: the flag of the now defunct United Kingdom of Earth, a modified version of the resistance flag of its Colonies in Rebellion, and a part of the Monarch's Great Seal. There is only one version of the Commonwealth Flag, which is used in all capacities. Creation Following the conclusion of the Great War of Rebellion, it became necessary to create a new flag reflecting the ideals of the Commonwealth Treaty. Rather than creating an entirely new flag, it was decided by both parties (the rebels and the government) to integrate their two flags. The government felt that the rebel flag was too provocative to keep in its then-current form. Therefore the rebel flag was merged with a part of Monarch's Great Seal. This was then integrated into the flag of the United Kingdom of Earth. Constituent Flags and Symbols Rebel Flag-The Rebel Flag (1) was used by the Colonies in Rebellion during the Great War of Rebellion. The five white circles represent the five colonies in rebellion. The omega symbol has a twofold symbolism: first as the symbol for ohms, the electrical unit of resistance, and as the symbol for the end, representing the end of association between the colonies and the United Kingdom of Earth. Monarch's Great Seal-The Monarch's Great Seal (2) is one of the central symbols of royal authority, and was integrated with the Rebel Flag (1) as a means to reconcile the two factions of the Great War of Rebellion. Reunification Banner-The government felt that the omega symbol was not in keeping with renewed relations between the colonies and the United Kingdom of Earth. To replace the omega symbol in the Rebel Flag (1), the government added a large circle in the middle, representing Earth, and connecting lines to each small circle, representing a mutual relationship and dependence. The centre of the Monarch's Great Seal (2) was added to represent royal authority and unity. This new symbol became known as the "Reunification Banner" (3), and is still flown at Government House on some colonies, as well as being frequently used in Reunification celebrations. Flag of United Kingdom of Earth-The Flag of United Kingdom of Earth (4) was originally going to represent the newly formed Commonwealth of Planets in its existing form. However, the Rebels were able to extract a concession from the government regarding the flag, and so a new flag was devised. The Flag of the United Kingdom of Earth, has the following symbolism: a gold cross, representing prosperity, as well as strength (when taken as a sword), a red field, representing the blood spilled by patriots to form the United Kingdom of Earth, as well as the uniting feature of humankind, and a white outlineof the cross, representing purity of government and spirit. The flag is also heavily influenced by the flags of the old Nordic countries, before they were integrated into the European Federation. Flag of the Commonwealth of Planets-The Flag of the Commonwealth of Planets (5), commonly known as the Commonwealth Cross, is the integration of the Reunification Banner (3) into the upper left canton of the Flag of the United Kingdom of Earth (4). It represents the sum of all of its parts, as well as the resolve of the people of the Commonwealth. Category:All